Perhaps the least desirable aspect of painting, is the after painting chores of cleaning the equipment. Even with water based paints, the ease with which a cleanup can be effected can sometimes provide the painter with a desire to replace his brushes and rollers rather than clean them.
In an attempt to reduce the burden that normally exists in cleaning paintbrushes and the like, the following reflects the state of the art in so far as applicant is aware:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,483,265--Dalia; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,407,429--De Nardo; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,430,286--Bownes; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,467,400--MacKenzie et al. PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,157,598--Talent et al.
Of these, MacKenzie et al. appears to have the greatest relevance to that which is taught in the instant application since he provides a device which has clamping jaws, an interior portion of which is suitably fashioned to engage a paintbrush, the exterior portion of which can allow the sliding reception thereon of a roller. Clearly, the gymnastics involved in allowing a roller to be slidably disposed over the MacKenzie apparatus really makes the cleaning utensil superfluous, since at that time, the person mounting the roller on the device has already contaminated his hands with paint. Furthermore, the insertion of a paint brush within the interior locking mechanism does not appear to provide a solid support especially since the cleaning action that takes place is a rotational centrifugal cleaning arrangment.
The remaining references, while showing the state of the further, appear to diverge even further from the instant application, those elements common to the prior art and the instant application are believed to be merely coincidental.
In any event, the apparatus according to the present invention provides benefits not contemplated by the prior art in that a roller or a brush can be mounted thereupon with the surety of having the paint retention surface of the brush or the roller not engage the hands. Furthermore, the apparatus according to the present invention provides a device which allows the easy insertion of a roller upon the device which is consistent with the roller structure that includes a wire support axle and handle. The device of the present invention provides a structure which allows for the easy insertion of the device into the ground or another similarly easily penetrable substance so as to allow the person cleaning the brushes or rollers to be a distance away from the brush or the roller thereby reducing the likelihood of splatter.